Teacher Preparation for Culturally Relevant Education: A Conceptual Framework

Culturally relevant education (CRE) is a viable alternative to instruction based on a “one-size-fits-all” paradigm. CRE is an instructional approach grounded in sociocultural theory which is critical to student success. CRE uses students’ cultural frames of reference during the education process to provide a platform for further learning and cognitive development. Through its focus on cultural and linguistic pluralism, CRE centers students’ sociocultural identities, lived experiences, and cultural practices to counter the hegemony of the White, middle-class standard of “normalcy.” CRE can improve school outcomes for students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds and reduce unnecessary referrals to special education. The purpose of this chapter is to present a conceptual framework for teacher preparation for CRE. This chapter opens with an overview of the dynamic presence of ever-increasing diversity (i.e., race, ability, language(s) of origin, gender identity) in P-12 schools across the United States. Students from CLD backgrounds are a heterogeneous group who bring a rich repertoire of sociocultural resources to classrooms. The chapter’s introduction also underscores the benefits for educators to leverage the varied sociocultural knowledge and experiences to enhance their teaching and in turn their students’ learning. The authors then discuss the challenge that the field of education faces with pervasive ideologies that have dominated the education field and have hindered the success of many learners (i.e., academic achievement and academic engagement) through inequitable educational policies and practices. Lastly, the authors explicate their conceptual framework or overarching guide to teacher education practice (general education, special education) to inculcate the “will and skill” among teacher candidates (TCs) to become confident and competent educators of CRE.